Song #89: "Man on the Moon" by R.E.M.
The next song on the countdown of the Top 100 Songs of the '90s is from a band that needs no introduction. R.E.M. is one of the most popular alternative rock bands ever and while they peaked in terms of popularity around 1994, they have been a force in the rock music scene pretty much since their breakout hit in 1987,"The One I Love". From 1987 to 1996 they released six albums, all of which were certified platinum in the United States. Although they never reached the coveted #1 ranking on Billboard's Hot 100, they came very close in 1991 with "Losing My Religion" and their highest position to date at #4. They have an astonishing twelve Top 10 songs on the Mainstream Rock Charts and ten Top 10 songs on the Modern Rock Charts.
"Man on the Moon" was the second single released off of their critically acclaimed eighth studio album, Automatic For The People, in 1992. The song mixes in references to Sir Issac Newton, Charles Darwin and Moses, with the main topic being the late-great entertainer Andy Kaufman. The song inspired the name for the 1999 film "Man on the Moon", a biopic of Andy Kaufman, and was used in promotion of the film.
The song best can be summed up with the famous double negative line, "If you believe there's nothing up their sleeve, then nothing is cool." It's a great song because of its thought provoking lyrics and its timeless sound and deserves a its rightful place on the countdown.
The music video for "Man on the Moon" is also one of my personal favorites. It has all the important elements for a great music video: its filmed in black and white, it has the lead singer walking aimlessly in the desert, extras in a bar lip syncing the lyrics, and of course random images of lightning. All kidding aside, the music video fit well with the song and gets the job done quite nicely. Check it out!
Interested in other songs from the countdown? Check out the other Top Songs of the 1990s.
Popular Rap Music Of The 90s - The Beats That Live On and On and On
Remember the days before T-Pain and Nelly? Back when Sean Combs was still Puff Daddy? Back when two kings of the game ruled supreme? When rap still sounded like rap? If you haven't figured it out yet, this article is dedicated to '90s rap music. Rap in the '90s brought widespread popularity to the genre. In the late 80s, Public Enemy, Run-D.M.C. and N.W.A. built a foundation for the gangster rap genre. They paved the way for what would be arguably the best decade the genre has ever seen.
With the exit of Ice Cube in 1989, N.W.A. continued to feud and eventually disbanded in 1991. The stage was set for an epic battle of rap supremacy in the early 90s. An East-West Coast divide had formed with Bad Boy Records on the East Coast, and Death Row Records on the West Coast. Tupac threw gasoline on the fire when he accused Biggie and Combs of being involved with the shooting he fell victim to in a NYC recording studio in 1994. With each record after that, the drama escalated and I think we all know how this story ends.
I think it was summed up best by The Notorious B.I.G. when he said:
I was in shock of everything. I wasn't shocked about him getting shot. 'Pac is a strong dude, yo. He's real strong, so when he got shot I was just like, 'Again?' You know, he's always getting shot or shot at, he gonna pull through, make a few records and it's going to be over. But when he died it took me by surprise. Even though we were going through our drama I would never wish death on nobody. 'Cause there ain't no coming back from that.
Unfortunately for everyone, the feud turned to violence and two of the greatest rappers ever were both assassinated, within six months of each other. The rivalry that sparked some of the best rap music ever was officially over and the game was forever changed.
That is your history lesson for today.
'90s rap is not something that I am a expert on but I know my fair share. That is why I have complied my top five songs from each year of the 90s. The rules are the same as the two previous lists and in case you forgot them, I have explained them below.
How it works:
For each genre of music I will rank the top 5 singles from each year in the 90s. I will provide a link for each song (either imeem or youtube, depending on availability) for your listening pleasure.
Disclaimer: These rankings are based on my personal preferences, not on actual popularity. I think of these lists as recommendations. Hopefully these songs will bring back some good memories, and if you have never heard them before, maybe create some new ones.
Interested in '90s Pop and Rock as well? Be sure to check out these lists as well.
90s Pop Music
90s Rock Music
Starting with 1999:
1. "Still D.R.E." by Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg
2. "What's My Name" by DMX
3. "You Can Do It" by Ice Cube feat. Mack 10 & Ms. Toi
4. "My Name Is" by Eminem
5. "Deception" by Blackilicious
1998:
1. "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" by Jay-Z
2. "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" by DMX
3. "Changes" by Tupac Shakur
4. "You Got Me" by The Roots
5. "Doo Wop (That Thing)" by Lauren Hill
1997:
1. "Hail Mary" by Tupac Shakur
2. "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" by Puff Daddy feat. Mase
3. "Hypnotize" by The Notorious B.I.G.
4. "Feels So Good" by Mase
5. "Burbons and Lacs" by Master P featuring Silkk The Shocker & Gotti from The Gambino Family
1996:
1. "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" by Tupac Shakur feat. Snoop Dogg
2. "Tha Crossroads" by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
3. "California Love" by Tupac Shakur feat. Dr. Dre & Roger Troutman
4. "Hit 'Em Up" by Tupac Shakur feat. Outlawz
5. "What They Do" by The Roots
1995:
1. "One More Chance" by The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Faith Evans and Mary J. Blige
2. "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" by Dr. Dre
3. "1st of tha Month" by Bone Thungs-n-Harmony
4. "I Got 5 On it" by Luniz
5. "Shook Ones Pt. II" by Mobb Deep
1994:
1. "Gin and Juice" Snoop Dogg feat. Daz Dillinger
2. "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik" by Outkast
3. "C.R.E.A.M." by Wu-Tang Clan
4. "Juicy" by The Notorious B.I.G.
5. "Thuggish Ruggish Bone" by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony feat. Shatasha Williams
1993:
1. "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" by Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg
2. "It Was A Good Day" by Ice Cube
3. "Who Am I (What's My Name)?" by Snoop Dogg (with Dr. Dre & Jewell)
4. "Down With The King" by Run-D.M.C.
5. "Hip Hop Hooray" by Naughty by Nature
1992:
1. "So What'Cha Want" by Beastie Boys
2. "Deep Cover" by Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg
3. "The Phuncky Feel One" by Cypress Hill
4. "Uptown Anthem" by Naughty By Nature
5. "Take It Personal" by Gang Starr
1991:
1. "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J
2. "O.P.P." by Naughty by Nature
3. "Shut 'Em Down" by Public Enemy
4. "O.G. Original Gangsta" by Ice-T
5. "Check The Rhime" by A Tribe Called Quest
1990:
1. "100 Miles and Runnin'" by N.W.A.
2. "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" Ice Cube
3. "Around the Way Girl" by LL Cool J
4. "Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em" by Eric B. & Rakim
5. "Streets of New York" by Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Similar to my 90s pop and 90s rock lists, this is only a small sampling of the genre. I just tried to represent all of the most influential acts of the decade and remind you of some the classic jams of the '90s. While this blog tends to focus on alternative rock, it is nice to take a step back and reflect on another great genre.
Hope you enjoyed this collection of music.
Agree or disagree with my selections? Feel free to share your opinion by making a comment below.
90s Pop Music Playlist
The week's playlist focuses in on 90s Pop Music. After compiling the top 5 pop songs from every year of the decade, I realized I didn't have a playlist dedicated to the genre yet. This collection of songs is filled with songs that either people want to forget or have embraced over the years due to their nostalgic value. There is not too many people openly praising the quality of these songs. "Crazy For This Girl" is one of my favorites: an often forgotten 90s music gem. I have always been more of the alternative post-grunge fan of the late 90s but you can't help but like these songs.
If you get one thing out of this, just remember:
"When you take a sip you buzz like a hornet,
Billy Shakespeare wrote a whole bunch of sonnets"
Enough said.
90s Pop Music Playlist:
1. "Drive Me Crazy" by Britney Spears
2. "If You Had My Love" by Jennifer Lopez
3. "I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys
4. "Genie In A Bottle" by Christina Aguilera
5. "Try Again" by Aaliyah
6. "Crazy For This Girl" by Evan and Jaron
7. "Summer Girls" by LFO
8. "Show Me Love" by Robyn
9. "I Want You Back" by 'N Sync
10. "It Feels So Good" by Sonique
Here's the link for the whole playlist: 90s Pop Music
Looking for more playlists? We've got plenty.
90s Rap Hits Part II
After the popularity of Rizzo Music's first 90s rap music playlist, I decided to create another one. Like the first, this playlist is just 10 solid rap songs from a great decade, the '90s. I am in no way an expert on '90s rap music but I really enjoy each and everyone of the songs on this list.
Enjoy this week's playlist and don't forget to sign up for our RSS feed!
90s Rap Playlist Part II
1. "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" by Jay-Z
2. "You Got Me" by The Roots
3. "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio
4. "Tha Crossroads" by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
5. "Changes" by Tupac Shakur
6. "Award Tour" by A Tribe Called Quest
7. "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J
8. "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" by Method Man with Mary J. Blige
9. "Summertime" by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
10. "Notorious Thugs" by The Notorious B.I.G.
Popular Rock Music Of The 90s - The Songs That Defined A Decade
Rizzo Music is back with a new article from the "Popular Music of the 90s" series. Last week I made a list of some of the best pop music of the decade and today I am going to share with you my list for the most popular rock music of the 90s. Out of all the lists and playlists I have created in the past, this was by far the hardest to come up with. There are so many great artists and songs that originated in the 90s and deciding on just 5 songs for every year was tough. I tried to get representation out of all the key rock artists and hopefully I didn't forget anyone.
After much debate I was able to compile this list of 90s rock music. There are so many songs that I really enjoy that could not be included due restrictions on space but there are 50 great singles here for your enjoyment.
How it works:
For each genre of music I will rank the top 5 singles from each year in the 90s. I will provide a link for each song (either imeem or youtube, depending on availability) for your listening pleasure.
Disclaimer: These rankings are based on my personal preferences, not on actual popularity. I think of these lists as recommendations. Hopefully these songs will bring back some good memories, and if you have never heard them before, maybe create some new ones.
Interested in 90s Pop and Rap as well? Be sure to check out these lists as well.
90s Pop Music
90s Rock Music
Starting with the year 1999:
1. "My Own Worst Enemy" by Lit
2. "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind
3. "Scar Tissue" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. "The Chemicals Between Us" by Bush
5. "Heavy" by Collective Soul
1998:
1. "Inside Out" by Eve 6
2. "The Way" by Fastball
3. "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground
4. "Shimmer" by Fuel
5. "Closing Time" by Semisonic
1997:
1. "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve
2. "Push" by Matchbox Twenty
3. "Everlong" by Foo Fighters
4. "The Freshman" by The Verve Pipe
5. "Everything to Everyone" by Everclear
1996:
1. "1979" by Smashing Pumpkins
2. "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers
3. "Counting Blue Cars" by Dishwalla
4. "What I Got" by Sublime
5. "In the Meantime" by Spacehog
1995:
1. "Lightning Crashes" by Live
2. "Wonderwall" by Oasis
3. "Glycerine" by Bush
4. "Name" by Goo Goo Dolls
5. "Good" by Better Than Ezra
1994:
1. "When I Come Around" by Green Day
2. "Shine" by Collective Soul
3. "I Alone" by Live
4. "Self Esteem" by The Offspring
5. "About a Girl" by Nirvana
1993:
1. "Rooster" by Alice in Chains
2. "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows
3. "Hey Jealousy" by Gin Blossoms
4. "No Rain" by Blind Melon
5. "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine
1992:
1. "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam
2. "In Bloom" by Nirvana
3. "Drive" by R.E.M.
4. "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica
5. "Creep" by Radiohead
1991:
1. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
2. "Man in the Box" by Alice in Chains
3. "Enter Sandman" by Metallica
4. "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.
5. "Right Here, Right Now" by Jesus Jones
1990:
1. "Hunger Strike" by Temple of the Dog
2. "Kool Thing" by Sonic Youth
3. "Head Like A Hole" by Nine Inch Nails
4. "Stop!" by Jane's Addicton
5. "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC
Well there you have it. The top 5 songs from each year of the 90s. Thanks for listening and enjoy.
Agree? Disagree? Feel free to share your opinion by making a comment below.
Popular Pop Music Of The 90s - The Hits That You'll Never Forget
Remember when you could turn on the radio and actually find some decent music? That is what I miss the most about the 90s. Whether you liked rock, pop, or rap, the '90s provided your fix for your particular tastes. Although my tastes tend to lean towards the post-grunge music I grew up on, there was no denying some of the great songs that came out of the decade.
I thought it was time to switch it up and bring to you a new kind of article. Within in the next few weeks I am going to present to you my favorite 90s songs separated by genres. I thought I would start off with pop since its pretty general, and well, popular. I will get to strictly rock and rap and many other sub-genres in the future. Feel free to offer your suggestions.
How it works:
For each genre of music I will rank the top 5 singles from each year in the 90s. I will provide a link for each song (either imeem or youtube, depending on availability) for your listening pleasure.
Disclaimer: These rankings are based on my personal preferences, not on actual popularity. I think of these lists as recommendations. Hopefully these songs will bring back some good memories, and if you have never heard them before, maybe create some new ones.
Interested in ’90s Rap and Rock as well? Be sure to check out these lists as well.
90s Rap Music
90s Rock Music
Let's start with a year I am very familiar with 1999:
1. "Steal My Sunshine" by LEN
2. "Genie In A Bottle" by Christina Aguilera
3. "Bring It All To Me" by Blaque
4. "I Knew I Loved You" by Savage Garden
5. "If You Had My Love" by Jennifer Lopez
1998:
1. "All My Life" by K-Ci & JoJo
2. "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It" by Will Smith
3. "That Don't Impress Me Much" by Shania Twain
4. "I Want You Back" by NSYNC
5. "I Don't Wanna To Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith
1997:
1. "Mo Money Mo Problems" by The Notorious B.I.G
2. "I'll Be Missing You" by P. Diddy, Faith Evans, 112
3. "Truly Madly Deeply" by Savage Garden
4. "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion
5. "As Long As You Love Me" by Backstreet Boys
1996:
1. "Always Be My Baby" by Mariah Carey
2. "Pony" by Ginuwine
3. "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion
4. "Macarena" by Los Del Rio
5. "Killing Me Softly" by The Fugees
1995:
1. "You Are Not Alone" by Michael Jackson
2. "I Know" by Dionne Farris
3. "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan
4. "Beautiful Life" by Ace of Base
5. "Fantasy" by Mariah Carey
1994:
1. "I Swear" by All-4-One
2. "Another Night" by The Real McCoy
3. "Don't Turn Around" by Ace of Base
4. "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex
5. "Waterfalls" by TLC
1993:
1. "Weak" by SWV
2. "What Is Love" by Haddaway
3. "Fields of Gold" by Sting
4. "What's Up?" by 4 Non Blondes
5. "Linger" by The Cranberries
1992:
1. "Rhythm Is A Dancer" by Snap
2. "Walking On Broken Glass" by Annie Lennox
3. "To Be With You" by Mr. Big
4. "Save The Best For Last" by Vanessa Williams
5. "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
1991:
1. "Walking In Memphis" by Marc Cohen
2. "I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams
3. "Baby, Baby" by Amy Grant
4. "When A Man Loves A Woman" by Michael Bolton
5. "Unbelievable" by EMF
1990:
1. "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" - C & C Music Factory
2. "Love Shack" - B52's
3. "We Didn't Start The Fire" - Billy Joel
4. "Pump Up The Jam" - Technotronic
5. "It Must Of Been Love" - Roxette
Some might look at the list and think, really? Is that the best the 90s had to offer? I, on the other hand, look at this collection of music, and see memories. While I made it a point to disqualify anything that resembled rock and rap, and it still has some really good songs. At the very least I hope you found at least one good song in this giant list that you forgot about.
Agree? Disagree? Feel free to share your opinion by making a comment below.
90s Music Playlist - A Variety of Hits
It has been a long time since I made a playlist so I decided what better way to make a playlist then to have one with a little variety. '90s music is a topic that covers all genres and hopefully I got a good sample of the 1990s in this playlist. This playlist doesn't feature any hits that were that big in the '90s but does offer some pretty good songs and a couple of my favorites. No matter what type of music you enjoy, this should take you down memory lane, as there is sure to be at least one song you recognize. I hope you enjoy this selection of '90s music and be sure to tell me what you think of it. Feel free to check out my other playlists at the bottom of the post and I'll see you next time.
90s Music Variety Playlist
1. "Pardon Me" by Incubus
2. "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" by Spin Doctors
3. "Interglatic" by Beastie Boys
4. "A Sorta Fairytale" by Tori Amos
5. "I'm Going Home" by Hootie And The Blowfish
6. "Pony" by Ginuwine
7. "Linger" by The Cranberries
8. "Down In A Hole" by Alice in Chains
9. "Otherside" by Red Hot Chilli Pepppers
10. "10 Days Late" by Third Eye Blind
Here's the link for the whole playlist: 90s Variety Hits
Looking for more playlists? We've got plenty.
Top 100 Songs of the 90s
After watching VH1's Greatest Songs of the 90s, I was inspired to start up a series of posts with my picks for the Top 100 Songs of the 1990s. I am going to skip out on the rap songs since I am not that big of an expert on that field of music. I am tempted to include some pop from the 90s but we will see if any of it actually makes the list. I am going to set out a few ground rules for the list and link back to this post for every entry.
Rules (subject to change):
1) An artist can only have up to a maximum of three songs on the list.
2) No rap, Hip-Hop, or R&B will be included on this list.
3) Only singles will be considered for this list.
4) I will accept suggestions but this list is in no way comprised of results from a poll or any form of voting process. It is strictly the opinion of Rizzo Music.
5) And obviously the song must have been released between Jan 1st 1990 and Dec 31st 1999.
Each song will get it's own post with a little history of the song (chart positions, band trivia, song trivia ect.) and the music video. I will constantly update this post with links to each post so that this article may be used to find any song on the list. With each article I will link back to this article so to provide easy access to each song. I hope to write about 1 article pertaining to this list a week so that should set a preliminary completion date for the list on August 20, 2009. It would be nice to finish the list before then but that seems like a realistic date for the amount of work required for this sort of project. Comments? Suggestions? I would love to hear them. Thanks!
Links (More Coming Soon)
Songs 100-91
Song #100: "Take A Picture" by Filter
Song #99: "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn
Song #98: "How Bizarre" by OMC
Song #97: "Meet Virginia" by Train
Song #96: "Down" by 311
Song #95: "Found Out About You" by Gin Blossoms
Song #94: "Greedy Fly" by Bush
Song #93: "The Impression That I Get" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Song #92: "Don't Go Away" by Oasis
Song #91: "Touch, Peel and Stand" by Days Of The New
Songs 90-81
Song #90: "Hanginaround" by Counting Crows
Song #89: "Man on the Moon" by R.E.M.
Songs 80-71
Songs 70-61
Songs 60-51
Songs 50-41
Songs 40-31
Songs 30-21
Songs 20-11
Songs 10-1
Be sure to sign up for email updates or subscribe with your favorite feed reader to stay up to date with all of the latest additions to the list. If you are having any trouble with this, feel free to email me at "web at rizzomusic dot com".
SNL In The 90s: A Look At The Music
A great recap to a great decade. Saturday Night Live is a show that I really have enjoyed over the last decade or so. From Chris Farley to Chris Rock, this show was stacked with comedic geniuses. This television special had plenty of commentary from almost all the great cast members of the 1990s but it was lacking a little in the video clips. With such a long span to cover, it was hard to fit everything into a two hour special but I think that they did a good job. You really can't go wrong with Chris Farrley's Matt Foley skit or Will Farrell's Cowbell performance.
It was really fun to see all the old cast members come back to talk about the golden age of SNL that was the early 90s. The cool thing about it was that there were only a few missing from the commentary. The only one that I noticed that was missing was Adam Sandler. I, being such a avid 90s music fan, loved that fact that they included a bunch of past performances from so many good bands. The musical acts have always been an intricate part of Saturday Night Live, and it was nice to see them be included in the special.
I had to compile this list by memory because I didn't get a chance to tape it but I am pretty sure this is fairly accurate and almost complete. If you see any mistakes or additions that should be made, please feel free to leave a comment.
Musical Performances Featured on "SNL In The 90s":
Barenaked Ladies - "It's All Been Done"
Gin Blossoms - "Follow You Down"
Christina Aguliera - "What a Girl Wants"
Blues Traveler - "Hook"
Green Day - "When I Come Around"
R.E.M. - "Shiny Happy People"
Pearl Jam - "Not For You"
Dave Matthews Band - "So Much To Say"
Foo Fighters - "Learn to Fly"
Beck - "Sexx Laws"
Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
Sheryl Crow - "If It Makes You Happy"
Garbage - "When I Grow Up"
Oasis - "Don't Go Away"
I was really happy to see the lesser known bands like Blues Traveler get some air time as well as the more popular acts like DMB, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., and Nirvana. My favorite part of the whole show was the decision to have Oasis' "Don't Go Away" be the last act shown. This is one of my favorite songs from Oasis and from the 90s in general. A fitting end to a great decade of music and comedy. Thanks for listening and hope you check out some of these classic songs.
Top 10 Songs You Should Know Playlist: Itunes Shuffle (Week 15)
Another Monday playlist for you to enjoy. I just realized how busy these next two weeks will be for me but I am going to try my best to keep up with new articles. For this playlist I thought it would be fun to get a good mix of 10 random songs selected by Itunes. I thought this sample would give a good representation of the kind of music I listen to everyday. I just hope that nothing embarrassing comes up. Thanks for listening and I hope you find something that you like.
Top 10 Songs You Should Know - Week 15 - March 5-11 2007
1. Natalie Imbruglia - Torn
2. Collective Soul - How Do You Love?
3. Red Hot Chili Peppers - This Velvet Glove
4. R.E.M. - The One I Love
5. Lifehouse - We'll Never Know
6. Keane - Broken Toy
7. Barenaked Ladies - Get in Line
8. A Perfect Circle - Judith
9. Dave Matthews Band - Angel
10. Goo Goo Dolls - Acoustic #3
Here's the link for the whole playlist: Itunes Shuffle Playlist #1
Looking for more playlists? We've got plenty.